Whistling In The Dark
by Magus732
Summary: This is a backstory about my OC, Max. Read my profile for some more info. And R&R, for goodness sake. Ch. 9 is up! Final chapter!
1. Chapter 1

_22 Years Ago..._

As Kreela screamed in agony, she begged her husband to stay with her. Fiaro had dreamt of this day for 7 months, and now, as his wife lay in the hospital bed, he would finally meet his son. Suffice it to say, he wasn't going _anywhere_.

With one last, mighty push, and her loudest scream yet, a baby Onyxian emerged from her womb, crying loudly as the doctor handed him to her. Fiaro and Kreela stared lovingly at their firstborn. The infant Onyxian finally settled down, cooing softly as his mother held his tiny hand. He laughed loudly as she smiled to him. Kreela was in tears, and Fiaro wasn't far from it. Finally, after 7 long months of pain and anguish, their first child was born.

"Welcome to Atmos, little one. It's so good to finally meet you." Fiaro said softly, kissing the top of the infant's nearly bald head. The child cooed softly, feeling safe in his mother's arms.

"What should we call him, love?" Kreela finally said, after a few joyful sobs.

"I'm not sure, Kreela... truth be told, I haven't really thought about it..." Fiaro tapped his chin thoughtfully. Kreela could do little more than cradle her infant in her arms; he'd resumed his crying as he began to feel ignored.

"There, there, little one... Mommy's got you..." He stared longingly into Kreela's eyes, and then smiled and cooed loudly, feeling safe again.

"There's nothing to fear now... we won't let anything hurt you..." She spoke softly to her son, who'd begun to look around the room at everything that the scenery had to offer. Finally, Fiaro's eyes lit up with inspiration.

"How about... Maximillian?" He kissed Kreela on the cheek, and cuddled closer to his new family.

"Maximillian... that's perfect..." Kreela nodded softly, and Fiaro kissed his son's head again.

"Welcome to your new family, Maximillian..." The infant cooed softly, seemingly oblivious to what had just transpired.

_Several Hours Later..._

Kreela and Fiaro finally arrived home. The black-skinned male helped Kreela into the house; she was still a little woozy from the intense pain of childbirth. The white-skinned female held their grey-skinned son in her arms, shielding him from the rain as they entered their home; a simple, one-story house a few miles from the hospital. Kreela heard her son giggling softly, and she looked down at him as he reached up to grab her long black hair. He held on with a tight grip, laughing as she tickled his stomach.

"You're so playful, aren't you, Max?" She let him wrap his tiny hand around her finger, and he cooed softly. Fiaro smiled and walked over to his beloved wife, kissing her on the cheek and letting her hand Max off to him, as he gently cradled his son in his arms.

"Hello, Max... I'm your dad... welcome home, little one..." Max cooed softly, not sure of what was going on. He whimpered a little as his father set him down on the floor, but giggled loudly when he saw his mom join him there.

"It's okay, Max... Mommy's here..." She kissed his cheek and held her necklace out in front of him, letting him grab onto it. Max's eyes grew wide as he tried to pull it away from her. Kreela refused, but didn't pull it away. Max began to cry when his mother wouldn't release her grip, but she scooped him up and held him close, trying to calm him as she gently pulled her necklace back on. He quickly calmed, and she realized Max only wanted it because it was shiny; he began to paw at it again, trying to pull the silver chain off of Kreela's neck. He cried when it wouldn't come off, but quickly settled back down when Kreela kissed his forehead, drawing his attention away from her necklace again. She smiled softly; her son was already showing a possessive streak, and he was only a few hours old.

"Kreela, there's something you should see..." Fiaro called from the living room. She came in, still gently holding Max in her arms. He held a newspaper up so that she could read it in the dim light of the lantern hanging from the ceiling. Fiaro opened one of the lantern's shutters, and the orange glow from it increased.

"Look at this..." He pointed to one article in particular. Kreela gasped loudly as she read it; the Chancellor had declared war on Cyclonia. They both knew Fiaro would be expected to serve in the local hospital past his contract, which expired in 6 months. That would mean long, blood-soaked hours away from their newborn son. Fiaro gave Kreela a kiss on the cheek, and tickled his son's stomach; Max had been looking around at his new environment, taking in everything that there was to see. Kreela nodded softly, acknowledging her husband's lot in life; as a doctor, he was expected to go where the state sent him, and that meant serving alongside military doctors treating soldiers fresh from combat.

"I need to call-"

"Go, Fiaro. Go call your sister. I'll see what I can't do about getting Max settled for the afternoon." She smiled as her husband walked over to their phone, and began to dial. Max cooed as Kreela carried him over to a couch in the middle of the living room.

"Now, let's see... what does Max want to do right now, hmm?" She knew full well Max couldn't answer, but she asked anyway. It made everything seem more real for her.

"Okay, Max... how about we play-" Just then, Fiaro came running into the room, a look of panic on his face.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"Grab your cloak! We're going to the hospital!"

"Fiaro, what's wrong!?" Kreela pleaded with him, and he looked into eyes from across the room.

"There's been an accident at the crystal refinery!" Kreela was up on her feet, not sure why that should mean anything to them.

"And!?"

"Your sister, Tarala, has been hurt."

"No..."

"I don't know how bad it is, but they've asked me to perform the surgery." Fiaro was a master surgeon; he would only be called if a patient was near death.

"Fiaro... I can't lose my only sister." Kreela began to cry softly, and Fiaro pulled her tightly against him, cradling her in his arms.

"It's gonna be alright, love, but we have to hurry... and bring Max... he can't be here on his own yet..."

"Yes, love..." Kreela threw together a few things, and scooped her son up from his perch on the couch. He cried a little as his mother took him away from his toy; a loose thread on the back cushion. She calmed him as quickly as she could, closed the shutter on the lantern, and closed the door behind her as they walked back out into the rain.


	2. Chapter 2

_19 Years Ago..._

"Mommy?" Young Max looked up longingly at his mother. She sat on the edge of the couch, looking down with caring eyes at her young son.

"What's wrong, little one? Did you hurt yourself?" She noticed a small bruise on his neck, but he shook his head.

"I had a bad dream..." His eyes began to fill with tears.

"Oh, Max... it's alright, love... come here to Mommy..." Kreela lifted her son into her lap, cuddling with him as his eyes grew heavy. She sighed a little, not sure what could be troubling him.

"What did you and Daddy do this morning that made all that noise, Mommy?" He looked up tiredly at Kreela, who'd taken an abhorred look on her face. Her 3-year-old son was referring to her and Fiaro making love earlier that day, before Fiaro went to work at the hospital where her son was born. She smiled softly.

"It's nothing that you need to worry about, love... mommies and daddies sometimes do things that make them happy, and some of those things make a lot of noise..." She tried to make him disinterested. He seemed to buy her story.

"Oh..." He said, letting his eyes droop even more.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, Max?"

"What's a mongrel?" Kreela looked down at her son with a frown on her face.

"Where did you hear such a nasty thing!?"

"At school. All the other children keep calling me a mongrel, but I don't know what it means."

"Oh, honey..." She held him tighter. "Never you mind what it means. You're not a mongrel, little one."

"But what does it mean, Mommy? And if it's so bad, why doesn't the teacher make them stop?" His eyes filled with tears again.

"It's a word that means that you're half of one thing and half of something else. Now listen to me, little one... I don't care what the other children say about you... they're just jealous of your beautiful grey skin. That's all." She tried to calm him down, but Max's sadness still shined through. Kreela cradled her son closer, softly rocking him in her arms. His eyes grew heavy once again, and he began to drift off to sleep.

Kreela smiled, and shuffled off to Max's bedroom, her young son still in her arms, and gently layed him in his bed. Pulling the covers over him, she kissed his cheek softly. _"Don't worry, baby... Mommy will always be here for you..."_ Kreela thought to herself as she turned off the light that hung outside of his bedroom.

_Several Days Later..._

"Hi, Mommy!" Young Max ran into the living room, expecting to see Kreela on the couch, waiting patiently for her son to return home from school. Kreela was there, but she wasn't alone; a young Merb sat nearby, cowering against her thigh, as though he expected an ambush at anytime.

"Hello, little one..." She lifted her son into her arms. He looked curiously at the Merb, who's left eye twitched ceasingly. He nearly leapt out of his light green skin when Kreela set Max down next to him; Max didn't know what to make of this, and looked up at Kreela longingly.

"Mommy, who is this?" His eyes betrayed him as they showed his jealousy.

"Max, this is Stork... he's going to be living with us for a while... he's a day or two younger than you; why don't you two play while I finish making us something to eat?" As Kreela got up and headed to the kitchen, she whispered something to the Merbling. He nodded softly, and moved over to tightly grip the arm of the couch

"Okay, Mommy..." Max obediently nodded his head, and looked over at the scared little Merb.

"Hi, I'm Max!" The Merb screamed in surprise, but quickly calmed when he saw that Max was of equal size.

"I-I'm Stork..." He stuttered nervously. Max didn't know anything about Merbs; he'd never met one before, and he wasn't old enough to begin learning about other species just yet.

"What's wrong, Stork? Did you have a bad dream?" He tried to understand what was going on. Stork vigorously shook his head.

"My Mommy and Daddy died... a few days ago... bad storm... no warning..." The Merbling began to rant softly to himself. Max didn't know what to do, so he tried to talk to him again.

"It's okay, Stork... my Mommy and Daddy are really nice... they won't let anything hurt you..."

"Yeah, that's what everyone says about their mommies and daddies... and then, one day, poof, they're gone!" The Merbling made little hand gestures to illustrate his point. Max looked over sadly at Stork.

"They, they are?" His eyes filled with tears. He ran to Kreela in the kitchen, and clung to her leg tightly.

"Mommy, I don't want you to go away! Promise you won't go away!" Seeing the tears in the child's eyes, she lifted him up with her left arm, leaving her right arm to work the cabbage that she then slid into the stew.

"Oh, honey... is it something Stork said?" Max nodded softly. Kreela smiled.

"It's okay, baby... I promise, I'm not going anywhere... Stork's still scared after what happened to his mommy and daddy... don't let him scare you, honey... he didn't mean it." Max loosened his grip. As she added the last ingredients to her stew, she called into the living room.

"Stork, honey... it's ready..." The Merbling peeked around the corner of the doorframe. His yellow eyes blinked a bit before he got a whiff of the stew, at which point he eagerly ran into the kitchen, nearly slipping on the wet floor.

"Whoa... be careful, honey..." Kreela grabbed Stork's shoulders as he lost his footing. His cheeks grew a bit darker.

"Oh, it's nothing to be ashamed of, Stork, honey... here, let me pour some out for you." She helped Stork up into his highchair, right next to Max. They eyed each other curiously, still not sure what to make of the person staring back at them. They blinked in unison, and then began exchanging funny faces. After a few minutes of this, they both started laughing loudly, continuing their shenanigans. Kreela chuckled softly as she came over to the table with three bowls of her freshly made stew.

"Sounds like my young men are getting along..." She smiled to them as they both reached up toward her, stretching out their little hands to reach for the bowls.

"Well, Stork, honey, I'm glad to see that your appetite's come back... here ya go, Max, baby..." She sat between the two children. They both looked up from the bowls, to each other, and then back to the bowls. Max's eyes flashed with playfulness, and he smiled devilishly.

"I bet I can eat more than you!" Max called playfully. Stork smiled a little.

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Hey, you two... it's lunch, not a contest..." Kreela broke up their little game, trying to get them to focus on the meal instead. They both wolfed down the stew, and giggled softly as they resumed their funny face game. Kreela laughed softly, not realizing that this was the beginning of a long friendship that would last into their adulthood.


	3. Chapter 3

_16 Years Ago..._

"Hi, Mom! We're back from school!" Max called as he entered the side door of their home, with Stork close in tow. The house was dark, and Max didn't know what was going on.

"Mom? What's going on?" Max repeated. Stork nervously followed him in.

"Maybe we should wait until Mom gets back from... wherever she is that isn't here..." Stork said cautiously. Max tried to keep himself from getting worked up, but Stork wasn't helping with his paranoid ranting.

"It's alright, boys... everything is okay..." Kreela called from the darkness. She opened the shutter on the lantern slightly, and they saw her lying on the couch, hardly moving.

"Mom? What's wrong? You look paler than normal..." Stork began, but Kreela cut him off.

"It's okay, Stork, dear... I'm not sick... I'm pregnant..." Kreela stroked her sons' cheeks.

"You mean... I'm gonna have a baby brother!?" Max's voice was filled to the brim with excitement.

"Or sister... remember, there _are_ two possibilities, honey... " Kreela nodded softly. Her stomach bulged a half-dozen inches, indicating what she said was true.

"In a few months, you're going to have a younger sibling, Max... and don't think for a minute that I forgot about my baby Stork..." She lightly pinched his cheek, which made him blush a bit. He knew he was adopted, but they all treated him like he was their flesh and blood relative. It made him feel good inside to know that they loved him, even though he wasn't an Onyxian. Having green skin and yellow eyes marked him as different, and so he got teased a bit in school. Max, on the other hand, was teased because he was a half-breed. His mother was from the lowlands, his father from the highlands. They normally didn't mate, but they did occasionally, and most adults felt sorry for their children, since they had a peculiar trait; they were much taller than normal for their race. Max stood nearly 4 feet tall when his classmates, including Stork, had barely reached 3 feet. It made him stand out even more than Stork.

_Every day that went by for the next 6 months brought them closer to having a sibling. Until..._

"Boys, I have some bad news..." The doctor told them as they stood in the middle of a busy hospital hallway.

"What is it, doctor? Is Mom alright?" Max's hopeful eyes looked up at him. He shook his head.

"I'm afraid not, little one... your mother died in labor... it sometimes happens in premature births... if you'll return to the waiting room, your father will be along to pick you up shortly..." The doctor shuffled down the hallway, back toward the operating room where their mother lay dead.

"Can we see her?" Max shifted his gaze up from the floor.

"Max, maybe you shouldn't-" Stork began.

"I want to see her!" His voiced echoed down the hallway, turning several dozen heads toward their direction.

"Of course you can... I'll take you to her... follow me, please..." Max kept up with him, nearly knocking over a few other patients to stay beside him. The older Onyxian told Max to be careful, but he was ignored. Finally, they reached the operating room. Max stood on a stool to stare into his mother's empty eyes. His own grey eyes filled with tears as he turned away and got down from the stool, slowly walking past where he left Stork, who'd taken to clinging to an unoccupied chair in the hallway.

"Max..." He watched as Max kept right on going, until he reached the exit, which was when Stork decided to race after him.

"Max, wait!" He called, as he ran to catch him before he left his line of sight.

"We still have Dad, don't we?" He ran up to Max and tried to pull him into a hug, but he wasn't interested in being comforted.

"Don't you get it!? Dad's never home anymore! If he was, maybe Mom wouldn't have-"

"I need you to be strong for me, Max! I won't survive here on my own!" He began to cry softly as Max walked back to him.

"It's alright now, Stork... I'll be okay... let's just go home before anything else happens to us..." So, they walked home together in the rain, neither caring that they'd forgotten their cloaks at the hospital.

_Several Hours Later..._

"Finally! I feel like it's been _so _long since I've seen the inside of my eyelids." Stork whined softly as he closed his eyes and pulled the covers over himself. They'd both showered and gotten ready for bed, when the phone rang. Naturally, Max picked it up.

"Hello? This is Max... yes, son of Kreela, you insensitive...! What about my father!? You WHAT!?" Max's voice boomed through the walls, hitting Stork like a sledgehammer. He fell out of bed, flat on his face.

"How could you send him into combat!? He's a civilian surgeon! How could you!?" He heard Max slam the handset down and shove the whole phone onto the floor; a distinctive sound. He peeked around the doorframe to see what had happened, and he saw Max backed into the corner of the living room, eyes wide as they'd go, his hands shaking violently.

"Max!? What's wrong!?" Stork began to panic.

"Dad's... been killed... in combat..." Max panted between the words, as though he wasn't getting enough air. He curled up into a ball as he fell to the floor.

"No... but that means that... who'll take care of us? Who'll wash our clothes, and disinfect the bathroom, and clean the dishes, and make our meals, and-"

Max let out a sudden, deafening howl. It scared the living hell out of Stork. He didn't know that's how most Onyxians dealt with the sudden loss of both parents; a total meltdown.

"Max! _Max_! Stay with me! I can't lose you too!" He pulled the taller boy into a hug, and they both sat in the corner of the living room, crying their eyes out for what seemed like days.


	4. Chapter 4

_13 Years Ago..._

"_Max, dear... time for school..." Kreela called into Max's room._

"_Okay, Mom... I'll be out in a minute..." Max replied._

"_Stork, I know you don't want to, but you have to go to school... Max'll be there, honey... you'll be fine..." She coaxed Stork out of bed._

"_Alright, alright... but only for you, Mom..." He playfully retorted. Max stared lovingly into his mother's eyes, and-_

"Max, time for school! Get up before your limbs cramp!" Alba called through the door. Max groaned as he awoke from his dream. Stork was already dressed and waiting patiently for him to get moving. He disgustedly sighed.

"Another fine day of Merb teaching awaits us, does it?" He looked at the face of his eager brother, one eye still clinging to his nocturnal paradise most call sleep.

"Yep... today, we have a de-lousing specialist coming to speak about the horrors of head lice..." Max rolled his eyes at the Merb.

"Yippee..." Max said dejectedly. He hated being on Terra Merb, but he wasn't yet old enough to leave on his own. And his foster parents, Alba and Shel, would never let him go without a modicum of proper Merb education. Stork raised an eyebrow at his grey-skinned roommate.

"Is it such a bad thing to learn? I remember when you used to like going to school..." He said, his yellow eyes narrowing a bit.

"And I remember a time when you hated it..." He retorted angrily. He dragged himself lazily out of bed, standing to his full 5 feet. Stork got nervous when his brother was too close, having recently learned about a terrible disease, or 5, that turned a Merb's skin grey. He had to remind himself Max's skin was always grey, and that he couldn't get Merb diseases.

"Since when do you go to bed wearing your school clothes?" Stork asked. The Onyxian shrugged.

"About the same time that I started to hate getting up this early in the morning... you know, I'm not just a night owl... I live for cooler climes... it will feel good to finally be out of this humidity..." He wiped off his brow, tinged with a thin layer of sweat built up during the night.

"That explains the profuse sweating... and the way that the girls stare at you..."

"The way that what girls stare at me?" Stork raised an eyebrow.

"Some of the girls in our class really like you... you mean you haven't noticed?"

"Nope... besides, I'm not interested..." He said dismissively. Stork shook his head.

"Many grown Merbs would kill to have your confidence with women..."

"What confidence!? I'm not interested in those germ-obsessed, paranoid neat freaks, damnit!"

"Max, watch you mouth! It's impolite." Alba said after knocking on the door.

"Piss off, Alba!" He said, and jumped out of the window, landing in the yard unscathed.

"Max, you can't just throw yourself-" Stork began after leaning out of the shattered window.

"You coming or what!?" Max yelled back from the street.

"Give me a minute, Fearless!"

_Two Hours Later..._

"Hey, Max..." A young, but comely, blue-skinned female Merb walked over to the sweating Onyxian. He grunted a bit through his nose, as he drank from the water fountain, to acknowledge her.

"I was w-wondering if you'd be willing to, uh... help me with my m-math homework..." The Merbette smiled nervously, flustered at the sight of the "Grey-Skinned Wonder".

"Maybe... I'll let you know..." He finally responded after finishing his drink. He slung his gym towel over his shoulder, and walked back into class, a few swooning females following his backside as he walked.

"Wow... he's so built... I'd want him protecting me from Gorge Sloths..." Another female made a similar comment as Max returned to his classwork; spotting Stork as he did push-ups.

"So, have any fun while I was waiting?" Stork said from his prone position on the floor. The taller boy shook his head.

"Breta asked for a private tutoring lesson... _again_..." Stork rolled his eyes.

"Max, why don't you just see what happens? You know it can't be as bad as-"

"Stork, listen to yourself... stop playing matchmaker... you suck at it..." A few Merbs nearby chuckled a bit, laughing at Stork's public near-humiliation.

"Alright, gentlemen... line up for final call..." The teacher barked loudly, after a long, screeching whistle. All present stood up and ran to form a single column of young men. All were panting and coughing a bit from their workouts; all except for Max. He calmly strode into line. The teacher let him have an earful.

"Max, when I tell you to line up-"

"'You line up. It's for your own safety and to ensure that no one is seriously injured during workout'. I know, Coach..." He rolled his eyes as the teacher fumed silently, grinding his long nails into the clipboard.

"You can thank Max for adding to your workload... you'll be de-sanitizing the gym floor like always, but this time, you'll have to use scrub brushes to get the stains out..." The others mumbled angrily. Max narrowed his eyes at the teacher, and tensed his shoulders, stepping forward out of line.

"No, I think you'll be doing that this time..." He wrapped one hand around the teacher's throat, easily picking the older man up off of his feet, and began to tighten his grip around the Merb's neck.

"Max, put him down!" Stork yelled. Max did as he was told, and the older Merb fell into a heap on the floor, the others rushing to his side.

"Max, have you lost your mind!? I feel like I don't know you anymore..." Max growled angrily, and Stork's eyes grew wide when he saw the anger in his eyes.

"Max..." Stork jumped aside as Max nearly rammed him out the way, and he watched the Onyxian slam his fists into the doors of the gym, breaking them open. A few frightened screams from the hallway told Stork all that he needed to know about what Max was doing, but one sound made him walk toward the hallway softly; the sound of pleasured moaning. Curious, Stork cautiously approached the doorway, and found Max locking lips with Breta, having pinned the defenseless Merbette to the wall. Her hands lovingly caressed his back as he picked her up, and carried her off... somewhere.

_Later That Night_...

"How did you manage to get expelled from school!?" Alba screamed furiously.

"Sexual conduct with another student..." Max replied, unmoved by her angry stares. She ground her teeth together, and then did something that no foster mother should ever do to their Onyxian foster child; she slapped him across the face. Needless to say, Max exploded.

"You...!" He picked the woman up, and slammed her back-first into the ground.

"How _dare_ you strike me, you horrible bitch! I should kill you; be thankful that I won't! Don't think that means I respect you, or value your life!" He got off of her, and she backed into a corner, scared out of her mind. She huddled in fear that Max would attack her again, and as he walked away, back to his room with Stork, she nervously extended her trembling limbs. When Max entered his room, he saw Stork hiding under his sheets, shaking violently.

"H-h-hey, Max... h-h-how's it g-going?" He said as his yellow eyes peeked from under the covers. Max grunted and closed the bathroom door behind him. Stork nervously got up from his bed as Max turned on the water and began to hum a sad tune to himself in Onyxian.


	5. Chapter 5

_Ten Years Ago..._

"Master Cyclonis, we've finally captured him!" An eager young Talon reported to a hooded figure. The figure turned to face him, and the Talon recoiled slightly in fear.

"Excellent... have the Onyxian brought to my crystal lab immediately... we _must_ begin work on a way to neutralize their army... otherwise, we will not win this war..."

"Yes, Master. Right away!" The Talon scurried off down a dimly lit hallway, away from the throne room. The hooded figure shifted on her throne, and a young child came out from behind it.

"Mommy, are we gonna hurt him now?" The black-haired girl asked as she looked up at her mother.

"Not yet, my child... we need to find out what he knows first... then, if he won't help us... we'll do what we have to, to win..." The hooded figure stood from her throne, her purple cloak hanging down below her knees. The young girl followed her as she left the room, and several guards took up the flanks behind their hooded leader.

"Don't worry, my child...he'll tell us what we need to know... sooner or later..."

_In A Dark Crystal Lab, Several Minutes Later..._

"Careful! He's still dangerous!" An older Talon barked to his troops. They were hauling a chained-up, grey-skinned Onyxian into the lab, and they knew what would happen if he got loose.

"Sir, the restraints are in place!" One of the Talon reported to the lead one.

"Very well! Secure the prisoner!" As he said this, the Onyxian sprang to life. He ripped the chains out of their hands, and knocked 3 of the Talons into various walls and tables. A dozen more Talons rushed in to restrain him, but it was no use. With his great strength, and ceaseless thrashing, he broke free, the chains on his arms still clinking as he swung his fists. As the hooded figure and her daughter entered the room, the lead Talon stood to attention and then returned his eyes to the raging prisoner.

"Master, he's too strong for us to control!"

"Stand aside, Talons!" The figure removed her hooded cloak, revealing a thin, pale face and shoulder length black hair. She held out her hands, and a bolt of purple energy struck the Onyxian, who shook his head and promptly turned to face his assailant. She fired another bolt, but the Onyxian dodged it easily, and moved to strike the sorceress down. He snarled loudly as he lunged for her, but he wasn't fast enough. A powerful blast of energy knocked him into the wall behind, and the prisoner crumpled into a heap on the floor, knocked out cold.

"Now, let's try this again, shall we?" The sorceress finally said. The Talons all nodded, and resumed their work of restraining the prisoner. He was pushed up against the wall that he had slammed into only moments before, and his chains were replaced with shackles attached to the wall above his head, his ankles being likewise fastened into place. A weak moan could be heard as the prisoner returned to consciousness.

"Now, my pale friend... welcome to Cyclonia..." The sorceress stepped forward, her eyes glowing softly. The grey figure shifted in his shackles, but could do little else. As all eyes in the room watched with awe, Cyclonis placed her hands on the boy's chest, and brought him to his knees with another powerful blast. He grunted in pain as his legs buckled, kneeling to the floor as best he could, his arms stiffly held above his head. Cyclonis hauled him back to his feet, and dug her nails into the boy's neck, a look of pure excitement crossing the sorceress's face.

"I have a few things that I need from you... guards, take my daughter and wait outside until I call you to return."

"Yes, Master." The senior Talon beckoned his troops through the door, and the small child that had stayed back toward the door shuffled out, her eyes sadly staring at her mother, as she wanted to stay and watch her work.

"Don't worry, my child... you'll see me again soon... I promise." She smiled as she pulled out her dagger, and slashed the grey-skinned prisoner across the cheek. As the room finally cleared, and the door closed behind the retreating guards, Cyclonis turned to face her victim.

"Now, Max... tell me... how is it you came to be in our territory, anyway?"

_3 Excruciating Days Later..._

"Master, you sent for me?" The senior Talon knelt before the sorceress.

"Yes, I did... take Max back to his cell... I'm afraid that he has nothing more to offer us..."

"Yes, Sire." The Talon stood erect, and then walked over to the door, clearing the room behind as Talons joined him to help take Max to his prison cell. As they reached the crystal lab, a battered and bloodied Max stood slumped against the wall. His eyes were glazed over, and his skin was covered with scars from head to toe. He offered no resistance to the Talons who released him and put him back into chains, and offered nothing but a compliant nod when the senior Talon told him that he was going back to the dungeon. But, even as he nodded, Max was well into getting loose. As his captors led him to his cell, he waited until just before they pushed him in, and then jumped free, waiting for them to yank on his chains to stop him. He countered with a swift slash across their necks with the claws on his feet; his nails had grown so long since his capture, they hung out like sickles on his toes.

As the blood of his victims splashed around his feet, Max loosed himself from his chains, and promptly threw them into the cell, hurrying to get clear of the hallway before the next patrol. He jumped onto the top of the cell walls, and ran as fast as he could toward the end of the cell block. His sprint for freedom was cut short by the patrol, as they entered the block on the side that he now faced. The Talons tried to sound the alarm, but after watching Max snap the neck of their leader with such ease, they retreated as he lunged to slash their necks as well. After doing so, he dragged their bodies into a side room near the dungeon, and stuffed himself into one of their uniforms. He walked confidently out into the center yard of the prison area, and casually headed toward an exit that led out onto a balcony he could escape from. He quickly opened the door leading out, walked through it, and closed it behind him, staring out at the cliff before him, at the bottom of which was a sea, with a river that snaked through the forest where he had hidden his Skimmer. As he plunged over the edge, he heard the sound of the alarms follow him into the sea, 300 feet below. As quickly as he could, he swam toward the mouth of the river, and let himself get swept away by the rather swift current. As he eyed his Skimmer, he climbed out, now soaked to the bone from his seaborne escape, and climbed onto his Skimmer. He managed to clear the treetops before Talon Switchblades began to appear behind him. He did the best that he could to evade them, but Master Cyclonis had other ideas. As bolts of energy zipped past Max, she did her best to convince the young Onyxian to give up.

"Come now, Max... you can't escape from my grasp-!" She was promptly silenced by an ambush from above, Max's commander having sent reinforcements to help him escape.

Max landed safely on the deck of an unknown carrier ship, and was greeted by the sight of a young, purple-haired woman, complete with Interceptor markings on her uniform.

"Thanks for the assistance, human... now, may I ask why you're here?"

"My name is Starling... and I'm _here_ because your commander called for help..."


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: This chapter's going to jump around a bit... just to warn you... and years are relative to the present time in "Once Again"...

It's also a bit longer than I'm used to writing... don't hate me for taking so long to update... this chapter was kind of hard to finish...

_2 Years Ago..._

"Maximillian Saer... as a result of your assistance to Sky Knight Starling, and your help in defeating the Raptors, on behalf of the Sky Knight Council of Atmosia, I hereby dub you _Sir_ Max, Sky Knight of the Atmos..." He lightly tapped Max's shoulders with a blunt sword, making sure to watch his long hair as he did so. The kneeling Onyxian shuddered as the blade touched the skin exposed through his torn uniform. He had nearly gotten himself killed saving Starling from Repton and his gang, and the council had decided to reward him by making him a Sky Knight.

"In addition, Starling of the Interceptors has something that she would like to say." As the registrar walked back to his chair in front of the council, Starling walked up to Max, who'd resumed standing. She smiled warmly, and began her speech.

"8 years... that's how long I've known this man... and I can safely say that he is the bravest person that I have ever known... I am honored to have him as a comrade in arms, and it is with great pleasure that, on behalf of the people of Terra Mesa, I present you with the Mesan Medal of Gallantry." She leaned in closer and then hung a gold medal around his neck, shaking his hand softly. He smiled softly, his perfectly white teeth shining in the light of the council chamber. As the audience stood and cheered, Max knew that there was another reason he was here. He looked around, and he saw who he was looking for; a redhead wearing the Storm Hawks' emblem. As the council exchanged glances, he walked over to the teen, and held out his hand.

"Am I correct in assuming that you're Aerrow, the leader of the Storm Hawks?"

"Yeah... why?" The redhead watched in amazement as Max's outstretched hand curled into a fist and slammed into his stomach. As he crumbled to the floor, he spat onto his back.

"_That's_ for ruining six months of undercover work..." He growled softly as he hauled Aerrow back to his feet.

"And _this_ is for beating Cyclonis... good job, human... next time, try not to blow up the crystal that you're supposed to recapture..." He smeared a little of his black blood across the redhead's pale cheek, tracing his cheekbone with one long finger. He then confidently walked past the teen's dumbfounded crew, and as he did, he eyed Stork standing toward the back. He nodded slightly to the Merb, and continued his stroll out of the chamber, as Aerrow's crew ran to his side.

"Aerrow, are you ok?" Piper stared at the blood on his cheek, and Stork walked forward to take a closer look.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Piper... although I'd like to know what I did to deserve that..."

"Hmm... it's really blood... I haven't seen this in a long time..." Stork wiped some of Max's blood off of Aerrow's cheek, and sniffed it softly, trying to identify the scent.

"That's Max, all right... a genuine Rite of Passage, Onyxian style..." The Merb smiled evilly, which gained him an evil glare from Piper.

"Stork, that's not helping..."

"I disagree..." Starling strode over, a smirk planted on her face.

"What do you mean, Starling?" Aerrow pushed Piper and Stork's probing fingers away from his face.

"It's a sign of respect, Aerrow... if I were you, I'd leave it on for at least 3 days... let it soak into your skin... Max will be insulted if you wash it off before 3 days have passed..." She nodded softly.

"Really?" The redhead raised one eyebrow.

"Yes, really... in fact, I would return the sentiment..." She smiled slyly, and began to walk after Max.

Aerrow shook his head in disbelieve. He couldn't believe that after having taking down Cyclonis, and having had to explain to the council why the Aurora Stone was gone, he got punched in the gut.

_Flashback: 12 Years Ago..._

"Alright, chotar, line up!" The drill instructor sheathed his dagger and walked along in front of the young cadets. Among them, one in particular stood out; he was a male, standing 5 feet 6 inches tall. His grey skin was what set him apart, though. He was the only hybrid among them.

"The Chancellor thanks you for volunteering to serve in his Army. You'll receive your unit assignments and final orders before shipping out tomorrow at dawn." The instructor watched as they congratulated each other for passing the trials; all except for the hybrid. He knew he had passed because of his skill, and since the others simply couldn't keep up with him, he refused to believe they deserved his respect. The instructor raised an eyebrow as they returned to their line.

"Company, dismissed... except you, Max... you stay behind..." The others filed out one by one. The hybrid stayed as ordered, and stared, eyes forward, as the older man stood in front of him.

"Maximillian Saer... I am pleased to inform you that you will _not_ be joining the Chancellor's Army..." Max raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to protest. The drill instructor's raised hand stopped him short.

"You won't be joining the Chancellor's Army... because you've been recommended for a position on the Silver Ravens..." The hybrid's eyes widened in shock; he'd never thought he was _that_ good, at least not at his age. Apparently, someone didn't agree.

"Sir, I... I didn't even know I was a candidate..." The older man chuckled softly.

"You weren't, chota... Krala was so impressed with your training scores that she asked for you herself..."

"Krala Hertu? The Sky Knight of the Silver Ravens... asked for me!?" His voice betrayed him, his enthusiasm shining through. The white-skinned instructor stepped closer.

"You're a skilled warrior, chota... but remember, the Silver Ravens accept only the best of the best... you can expect a lot more training before you're ready to join them..."

"I think he's ready now..." A female voice penetrated the chamber. Both Onyxians turned to see a black-skinned female wearing Silver Raven insignia, hands at her sides, with four males in similar uniforms following behind. She walked up to him, and did a once-over of Max. She raised one eyebrow when he growled softly.

"So, you're a hybrid... interesting..." She walked around behind him, and tried to quickly kick his feet out from under him. While she was very fast, even _she_ couldn't believe Max had dodged her _and_ delivered a swift blow to her chest, knocking her flat on her back. She grunted a little as she hit the floor, but as Max stood over her, smiling smugly, she slammed her foot into his chest, knocking him off of his feet, as well as a few feet back. She smiled in pride, until she saw him flip in the air and land on his feet. She growled in frustration and jumped back up, lunging forward to strike at his throat. Again, Max dodged with ease, but this time, she was ready; she grabbed his arm and pulled him along as she sailed past him. Max landed on his chest as she pulled him into a leg-lock. He countered with a elbow to her back, and he jumped clear as she came back down on him.

Krala growled louder, her anger rising. The others on her squadron murmured in concern; she'd never lost a fight before, and she would do _anything _to keep it that way. She leapt back onto her feet, grabbing the dagger at her side. She lunged at his throat again, but this time, _he_ was ready. As she nearly sailed past a second time, he grabbed her by the chest and threw her to the ground, pinning her down. He countered her every move as she tried to get loose, quickly getting her pinned to the floor again. They both panted as she struggled, and when her shoulders slumped in defeat, Max finally let her up. She took his outstretched hand, and as he hauled her to her feet, she flipped him onto his back and straddled his chest, bringing the dagger to his throat.

"You're good... _really_ good... but you still have some to learn before you can beat me..." As she moved to get up, he reversed her grapple and pinned her to the floor again. She grunted in pain as he stretched back her arms, and she screamed in agony as her shoulders grew taut, releasing the dagger and writhing in pain.

"Looks like you still have some to learn, too..." She finally broke free, and they both collapsed to the ground, drained of their strength.

"He's perfect, Tral. I can't remember the last time I fought a warrior of his relentlessness." She said between ragged breaths. She stood back up, and helped Max back to his feet.

"Welcome to the Silver Ravens, kid... hope you're up to the challenge..." He shook her outstretched hand, and they both nodded.

"I was going to same the same thing to you..." His sly smile told her all she needed to know; this was only the beginning of his term. Max would come to serve them for a long time.


	7. Chapter 7

_6 Years Ago..._

"Alright, Max, listen carefully... I've got a special conference that I have to go to. You know, Sky Knight stuff... so, I'm leaving you in charge until I get back... think you can handle it?" Krala smiled slyly as the younger Onyxian nodded softly.

"Let me know if anything happens while I'm gone... 'til then, try to keep the _Scimitar_ in one piece for me..."

"You got it, Chief!" Max responded a bit _too_ eagerly; this was his first time in command, and he was too excited for words. He blushed a bit when Krala raised an eyebrow.

"Easy, Max... it's okay to be excited about your first command... just, try to control yourself, okay?" She smiled again as he nodded in agreement.

"Yes, ma'am." He saluted stiffly, and she chuckled.

"Krala, it's time to go." Starling called from behind them. They both turned to face her, and Max's blush returned.

"See ya later, kiddo..." Krala teased, and rubbed his hair playfully. Starling giggled a bit as he shooed her hand away. He spent a few minutes after they left fussing over his hair. Normally, he didn't care what it looked like, as long as it was presentable. But when Starling was around, it was completely different. He thought about how perfect she was, going over every detail of her face in his mind. His blush deepened as he moved his way down her frame, nearly moaning out loud as he passed over her chest; she was pretty big, and Max couldn't help but steal a few peeks at her when she wasn't looking. He was snapped back to reality when his other teammates filed in. When he heard the door slide open, he managed to calm down enough to address them without looking nervous.

"Krala put me in charge while she's gone... anybody got a problem with that?" He smiled as they all shook their heads; they knew he was good enough to challenge Krala, and none of them wanted to mess with someone _that_ strong.

"Alright, guys... let's get back into the air. We're making a pit stop before we head back to Onyx." They shuffled out after the hybrid, and he smiled softly to himself; he was respected enough that no one made any complaints about his orders... _yet_. He knew that it wouldn't be too long before he was back under Krala's command, and he wanted to show them all how good a leader he could be until she returned.

_Several Hours Later..._

"Max, we've got incoming!" Sklar turned to face the hybrid, who pulled down a periscope to look around.

"Bearing?"

"185 degrees."

"Helm, hard to starboard; bring us about!" The ship lurched to one side as it turned sharply; the _Scimitar_ was very tough and heavily armed, and despite being nearly 4,000 tons heavier than any other ship of its size, such as the infamous _Condor_, it was surprisingly fast and maneuverable. As the ship swung around, two other teammates trained the beam guns outward, ready to face anything that came their way.

"There, I see them! Cyclonians, coming in fast!" The ship shook a bit as it was rocked by cannon fire.

"Shields!" Max shouted over the rumbling of the ship, and as soon as he spoke, a massive explosion could be heard back aft. The ship lurched forward, knocking everyone off of their feet. Max held onto the periscope tightly, and managed to reach the shield activation button on the helm controls. As they heard the sudden, familiar "whoosh" as the shields went up, another loud bang shook them again, as the lights dimmed a bit.

"Damnit! They've hit the port ventral engine!" Krent yelled as another blast came from the side.

"What the hell are they shooting at us with!?" Sklar called forward from the ventral periscope at the back of the bridge

"Battleship cannons! The vessel's emerging from a cloud bank behind and below! Hang on!" Max dove for the ship's controls as they felt the hit of another cannon blast. This time, the shields held, and Max yanked back on the controls, pulling into a shallow climb. The ship listed lazily to port, dragging a bit as the port ventral engine finally failed completely. Max kicked in the secondary engines on the carrier's pontoons, and as they leveled out, he pulled a hard right turn, cutting off a destroyer climbing to intercept. The crew came close to blacking out as they entered a crushing 16G dive, nearly crashing into the Wastelands below as Max leveled out. The destroyer chose not to follow, as Max dove in and out of pockets of dense smoke trying to evade the battleship shooting at them from above. Finally, he growled loudly in anger, and pulled a 90 degree climb, the _Scimitar_ screaming past the battleship at breakneck speed, mere yards away. He nosed over, and rammed the battleship's dorsal bow, knocking the massive ship into a shallow nosedive. Max pulled up again, and quickly slammed into the destroyer's midsection head first from below, breaking it in half as the forward section of the pontoons collapsed slightly under the impact force. Max yelled in excitement as the other Cyclonians retreated.

"That's right, you bastards! You better run!!" Max kicked in full power and pulled into a cloud bank 2,000 feet above.

"Krent, damage report!" Max barked from the helm as he engaged the autopilot.

"The port ventral engine's been completely destroyed. It'll need to be replaced. Lucky shot."

"Anybody hurt, you better speak up now before I change course and have to pilot this thing." Max yelled as he looked over the crew. They seemed fine, but he had to be sure.

"I'm fine." Krent's soft voice called from the engineering console at the back of the bridge.

"Same here." Sklar finally spoke up as he clung to a grab handle bolted to a bulkhead, trying to get his bearings back after having been knocked unconscious during the fight. Max walked over and forced the older Onyxian's eyes open.

"You have bleeding in your left eye. You're not fine, Sklar."

"I'll live, Max. We need to get back to base while we're still clear of those Cyclonians dipshits." He tried to fight out of Max's strong grip, but the tall hybrid simply pinned him against the wall, roughly slamming his leg into Sklar's stomach to keep him still while he looked him over.

"_You _need to lie down and rest. You've got a mild concussion and possible retinal damage. If it gets any worse, I'll have to remove you from duty until you've fully recovered." Max growled a bit when Sklar scoffed dismissively. He grabbed the older man by the throat, and lifted him off of his feet, watching his eyes widen when he realized that he was in the air.

"Listen to me, Sklar... I'm not just the medic and carrier pilot anymore... right now, I'm your leader, so when I give you an order, I expect you to follow it. Understand?" The smaller man nodded compliantly as he was returned to floor level. Max smiled as Sklar shuffled out slowly, and he turned back to the rest of his crew.

"Anybody else hurt?" Their sharpshooter, Spart, shook his head from his position on the starboard gun mount. From her position on the portside gun mount, their tactician Frelara shook her head as well, but she lost her footing as she climbed back down from the gunner's seat. Her body landed roughly on the floor, and she cried out a bit as she hit shoulder-first.

"Frelara, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine... just a bit shaken up after those maneuvers. Nice flying, by the way." She nodded softly, rubbing her shoulder as she got back to her feet.

"Don't thank me yet. We're still hours from Onyx. They could come back at anyti-" Before he could finish, the ship took another hit from behind. He pulled down the starboard periscope, and saw the Cyclonians behind them again. This time, they were led by a black-haired human, about six inches shorter than Max. He growled softly.

"The Dark Ace... that traitorous lowlife... Prepare for battle!" He re-raised the shields, but they weren't strong enough against the barrage of cannons that hit them from all sides.

"Damnit!"

"They're everywhere!"

"Stand your ground! Krent, divert auxiliary power to the shields! Frelara, get on the port gun, Spart, to starboard!"

"What about Sklar!?"

"Just Do it! Krent, get back aft and secure the engine room! We're going to play a little game of chicken..." He pulled another tight turn, this time to the left, and then, to the amazement of the Cyclonians, performed a tight left-hand chandelle to spin around, aiming back at them. As the Cyclonians spread their formation to avoid a collision, Spart and Frelara opened fire on them, knocking out many of the Switchblades. The Dark Ace managed to steer clear of the cannons, but his lieutenant took a direct hit to his engines, entering into a flaming death roll.

"Hang on! We'll be clear of their formation in six seconds!" Max yelled as he pulled into another tight turn. Finally, mercifully, they pulled clear. Max grunted a bit as he put the ship back on autopilot and walked back toward Frelara.

"How are you holding up?" He smiled a bit as she got down from the gunner's seat.

"I'm okay. Glad to finally be rid of those guys." She smiled a bit herself, and then shot a worried look over to Spart.

"I'm okay, boss..." The sharpshooter nodded softly as he got back down from the gun mount.

"Good... for now, it seems, we have the sky to ourselves..." Max shifted his eyes back and forth suspiciously.

"I'm going to go check on Sklar." Spart said as he left the bridge. Frelara turned around and walked over to Max, who'd resumed looking over the skies with the starboard periscope.

"So... how mad do you think Krala's going to be when she gets back?"


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated in a while... I started to feel unappreciated... but now, I'm back on track... sort of...

_A Year Ago..._

"So, Max, what do you plan to do now that you're an official Sky Knight?" Starling walked along with the hybrid as they strolled through the corridor leading to the bridge of the _Scimitar_.

"I plan to go on doing my job as though nothing has changed, Starling." The tall Onyxian stared at her with a condescending look in his eyes. The Interceptor blinked a bit in confusion.

"Wait... you mean, you're not gonna try to take over-"

"How can you even _think_ to ask me that? You think I let them knight me so I could kill Krala and take her place?"

"Max, I thought it was normal for you..." She said hesitantly, clearly not understanding his reluctance.

"It _is_... if one believes the leader in place isn't effective enough, they can be... removed... but I happen to have faith in Krala..." They reached the end of the hallway and walked onto the bridge. Everyone there turned around to watch them enter. Max raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"What?" His eyes searched the room, and he found Krala as she stepped forward to talk to him. He did likewise.

"Max... this is hard for us to do..." She began. He re-raised his eyebrow.

"Spit it out... what _is_ it!?" He demanded. Krala cringed a little then cleared her throat.

"Max, ever since you escaped capture on Cyclonia, you've been... different..." The others shifted nervously. He still didn't understand, and he furled his eyebrows in thought.

"What do you mean? I'm the same as I was befo-"

"No, Max, you're not! You've become rude, abrasive, and violent... even by Onyxian standards..." Krala looked down at the floor sadly. The reality dawned on him.

'Wait, are you... kicking me off the squadron?" He said, in complete disbelief. Krala nodded softly, not sure how he would react. The angry hybrid growled loudly, slamming his fists into the nearest console. Starling stood clear, trying not to get in the way.

"Look, Max, it doesn't have to be this way... you went through a terrifying ordeal... you _need_ to deal with it, or you're only gonna get worse..." Frelara softly joined in, and Sklar nodded his agreement. He looked from face to face, trying to find someone who dissented. He found nothing. Everyone had turned against him. He turned to leave, and Krala grabbed his shoulder, trying to stop him.

"Max, please... don't throw your life away-" Krala was suddenly sucker-punched in the stomach, which was quickly followed by a leg sweep that knocked her to the floor. Max landed on top of her, both kamas poised to slice open her throat. His eyes were filled with hatred, and he tried to cut off her head as she resisted with all her strength. After a few moments, Max's eyes softened, and he released her slowly. As he got up, his hands shook, rattling the kamas loudly. Starling came over and steadied his hands.

"Max, it's okay, it's okay..." She pulled him closer, and he closed his eyes, trying to hold back the tears that now streamed down his face.

"It's alright, Max... let it out..." She held the hybrid as best she could, and he sobbed into her shoulder, dropping his weapons to the floor with a loud clank. He fell to his knees as he panted between sobs, and she stayed with him all the way to the floor, as he sat up against the wall.

"Max, it's okay... please, let us help you..." Starling wiped off his cheek slowly, and he started to calm down. His eyes shone a bit in the light of the bridge, and she pulled him closer as he resumed sobbing.

"Max, Starling's right... we just want to help..." Krala came over and rubbed his back softly. By now, the hybrid looked like hell; his cheeks were stained by tears, and his eyes were puffy and slightly darker from all the crying. Starling smiled as he nodded softly. They had no idea how badly he'd been tortured by Cyclonis...

_Several Days Later..._

"Ms. Starling, we've decided to move him to the maximum security ward..." The hybrid doctor spoke softly while eyeing a clipboard in his hand.

"Why? What's happened?" Starling asked as the Silver Ravens came up behind her.

"I'm afraid Max's condition is deteriorating rapidly... he's twice now tried to commit suicide... we don't have enough staff in medium security to deal with a high-risk patient like Max..." The doctor's words stunned them all; Max would _never_ try to kill himself.

"Doctor, are you sure we're talking about the same person?" Krala inquired. The doctor nodded, and looked back down at his clipboard.

"Maximillian Saer, hybrid, age 21... 6'4", 189 pounds?" The visitors nodded softly.

"I don't believe it... Max would never-"

"Excuse me, I couldn't help overhearing your conversation... I'm Doctor Spel, Max's psychiatric consultant... I'm afraid he's in worse shape than we could have anticipated..." The white-skinned male adjusted his glasses to sit better on his face. The visitors exchanged glances, and returned their eyes to the psychiatrist.

"Doctor, just how bad is he?" Frelara said, having finally found her voice.

"He's suffering from acute Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome... but at a level I've never seen before... he's almost unresponsive to the standard medicinal treatment, and when I try to talk to him about it, he goes into violent flashbacks, endangering everyone around him... frankly, I'm at a loss at far as what to do..." The doctor's eyes softened with sadness.

"Maybe... maybe he's struck like this..." Spart said from the back of the group. Krala shook her head.

"I had no idea he was this bad, Doctor... if we'd known, he wouldn't have waited so long to get treatment..."

"It's not that, Ms. Krala... it's the memories that are causing it... he can't bear thinking about it, and so his mind is trying to bury it deep in his memory, where he can't find it..." The doctor readjusted his glasses, staring at a clipboard of his own.

"I _do_ have a theory... if he were exposed to a rapid electric shock to his mind, while experiencing the flashbacks, we just might be able to purge the feelings associated with the memories he's trying to block..."

"Wait... wouldn't that risk killing him as the electricity arcs across his nervous system?" Starling inquired, clearly scared.

"To be perfectly blunt, it may be the only option we have..." He said ominously. Finally, Krala had heard enough.

"Do the procedure... if it doesn't work, at least he'll finally be at peace..." She said sadly. The doctor nodded, and rushed down the hall, yelling at nurses and interns to prep for the procedure to come...

_An Hour of Preparation Later..._

"Are you ready, Max?" The psychiatrist looked over at the hybrid, strapped to a table, with electrodes attached to his temples.

"It you want, you can stay and watch, but I wouldn't recommend it..." He said, adjusting his glasses for the umpteenth time. The visitors all nodded, and slowly shuffled out, saying their "good lucks" before leaving. Max gulped loudly as he began to delve into his memory, receiving instructions from the doctor. As he entered his living nightmare, his body spasmed violently, as he tried to break free of his restraints. Seeing this, the doctor threw the knife switch, and the arc of electricity surged through his brain, dimming the lights outside the office as Starling and the Silver Ravens waited hopefully.

_Several Treatments, and Hours Of Screaming, Later..._

"Well, Doctor?" Frelara said softly.

"I'm happy to report that... it seems to have worked." He smiled softly, right before being bear-hugged by the group of cheering people.

"You should know... while he's not suffering from the flashbacks anymore, his personality has remained the same..." He said ominously.

"Does... does he remember anything from-" Starling began, before the doctor cut her off.

"He remembers all of the torture ... he just... it's not causing him to seize anymore..." He said hopefully. The others shared a sigh of relief.

"Now, I just hope we can break him in... he'll need to undergo a few more sessions to deal with any aftereffects, such as short-term memory loss..." The doctor grinned as they cheered again.

"Thank you so much, Doctor!" Starling hugged him, just moments before the patient was wheeled out on a stretcher.

"He's sleeping right now, but I'll let you know when you can visit..." The others hugged each other as they watched him go by.

"Thank you again, Doctor... I was afraid we'd lost him..." Krala said confidently. They had no idea how much he'd actually forgotten...


	9. Chapter 9

_6 Months Ago..._

"Hello, Max... how are you doing?" Starling smiled to the hybrid through a containment wall; a 6-inch-thick, plate-glass window the height and width of the room. The tired Onyxian stared back at her, unsure of what to say.

"I'm... alright... I suppose..." He said softly. He shifted uncomfortably on his cot, trying to cover himself more thoroughly with the small, one-piece medical gown dangling from his shoulders.

"Do you fell like entertaining guests?" She clung to the glass hopefully. To her dismay, he shook his head slowly. He let out a wry chuckle, and got up, slowly walking toward the glass wall.

"I... don't remember... _anything_..." He said haltingly. He had been in the hospital for months, but far more of his memory was lost than anyone could've anticipated.

"It's okay, Max... it _will_ come back-"

"And... what if... it doesn't?" He suddenly asked, tears welling up in his eyes. She sighed helplessly, unable to answer.

"I... may be... stuck like this... forever..." He slowly walked back over the cot, softly dragging his left foot as he limped along. No one had even _prepared_ for the possibility of nerve damage. Starling, on the other hand, believed his memory was intact; he simply couldn't access it. She did everything she could think of to keep him thinking, hoping it would spark his memory back to life.

"Max, I know it's tough now, but you have to try... you can't be stuck like this forever... I won't let that happen..." The hybrid raised an eyebrow as she spoke. He shook his head and laughed softly.

"And what... do you think... you can do?" He came back over to the glass, his hands lightly tapping on it as he leaned against the window.

"The problem... isn't going away... anytime soon..." He grimaced as she held her hand against the glass to overlap his. He nervously pulled his hands away, turned and began to mumble something to himself.

"Your name... I...I know your name..." He continued to speak slowly, unable to think very fast. Starling's eyes lit up.

"Yes... yes, you do... can you remember what it is?" She said hopefully. He furled his eyebrows in deep thought then shook his head. Something in his eyes caught her attention. They twinkled after he shook his head. That told her something else might be holding him back.

"Max... do you remember how you got to be here?" She said, hoping he wouldn't see what she was planning to do. He nodded softly.

"Tell me about it..." She said quickly, hoping his mind wouldn't have time to lose access to his memory. He opened his mouth to answer then furled his eyebrows again. She groaned in protest.

"Max, I see the look in your eyes... you remember, don't you?" She demanded. Against all odds, and indications to the contrary, he nodded slowly. He smiled devilishly, and laughed quietly to himself before turning around.

"Man, I can't believe you thought _I _could be taken out so easily... I just needed an excuse to take a vacation..." He laughed louder.

"You mean to tell me you've been _lying_ this whole time!?" She narrowed her eyes in anger. He shook his head, and her face softened.

"I regained my memory a few months ago, during one of my 'therapy' sessions... it all came rushing back to me in the middle of a sentence..." His voice softened considerably.

"Then why hide it? I don't understand-"

"Of course you don't... and I don't expect you to... I'm also not going to explain it to you, because it would be pointless..."

"It wouldn't be pointless to me, Max... how can I even trust-"

"Trust!? What do you know about trust!? I go in to save a group of captured soldiers, and the next thing I know, I'm being taken prisoner... who the hell gave the order to hold back our reinforcements for _3 days_!? Why didn't I get any ground or air support!?" He had begun ranting about the mission that had him in Cyclonis' clutches for 3 long days. She stared with wide eyes, mortified at his sudden outburst of rage.

"_I _gave the order to hold back, Max..." Krala stepped forward from behind Starling. She sighed softly, and waited for him to continue ranting. He simply sighed, and then suddenly charged the glass, ramming himself into the window several times, until blood began to ooze out of several small cuts in his shoulder. The glass cracked dangerously but held against the force of his attack. Both Starling and Krala jumped clear as he tried to break free, which triggered an alarm that now blared overhead.

"Why did you order them to hold back!? WHY!?" Nearly a dozen guards rushed in through a side door, tackling the hybrid to the floor as he struggled with every ounce of his strength. He screamed in agony as he was jolted by a massive energy discharge, dropping him to his knees and allowing them to strap him into a straight jacket before hauling him back to his cot.

"Why did you do it, Krala?" Starling finally spoke up, breaking the awkward silence they had both shared until Max had been strapped to his cot and sedated. The Onyxian warrior sighed softly, and stared at the Interceptor with sadness in her eyes.

"I was ordered to by Marshall Trallyn. I didn't have a choice." She shook her head as her eyes filled with tears. Starling came over and gave the Onyxian Sky Knight a soft hug, holding her as she cried.

"You could never have known this would happen, Krala... it's not your fault..." She sighed as Krala sniffled softly, trying to hold back her feelings; it was an Onyxian social custom she never understood.

"I don't think Max'll see it that way..."  
"He'll just have to learn how to live with it." She said finally.

"I... just wish I could take it all back..." Krala said as Max awoke from his not-so-peaceful sleep.

_3 Months Later..._

"Alright, Maximillian... you're cleared for discharge..." Dr. Spel said as he stamped his discharge papers loudly. The hybrid grunted softly as he was handed his freedom.

"Thank you, Doctor... for everything..." He said at last, having been silent since his release from the maximum security ward. As he and Starling walked out of the hospital into the cold rain, Max shivered a bit, having spent too much time indoors to remember to bring a cloak. The Interceptor threw a spare cloak over his shoulders, and he couldn't help but smile.

"I think we should keep things... simple... between us..." The Onyxian said softly. Starling nodded her approval.

"Sounds good to me... for now, at least..." She smiled a bit as he looked down at her with a smile of his own. He stared at the sky as he heard the rumble of thunder above them.

"So... what's say we get something to eat before heading out? I bet you're starving after all that hospital food..." She said playfully, but he shook his head.

"I just want to get out of here... been on land too long..." He looked over to see his Skimmer parked next to hers. She mounted Red Streak as he mounted Coltemach, and he smiled to her, watching her smile back.

"I heard Krala talk about letting you have your old job back... would you be interested if she did?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'll take you up on _your_ offer, Starling... I've heard good things about the Storm Hawks..."

The End

Author's Note: So, what did you readers think? Good? Bad? Let me know, please... appreciate the feedback...


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